MSTC student wins national award

LOUISVILLE - Jordan Esselman of Chili won a national award at the 2016 SkillsUSA Championships held June 22 to June 23, according to a news release from SkillsUSA.

Esselman, a student at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, competed in the automotive service technology division. He was one of more than 6,000 students competing in the annual workforce development event, which showcases career and technical education, the release said.

The SkillsUSA Championships is the largest skills competition in the world where students demonstrate their technical, workplace and personal skills in 100 hands-on occupational and leadership competitions including robotics, automotive technology, drafting, criminal justice, aviation maintenance and public speaking, the release said.

Industry leaders from 600 businesses, corporations, trade associations and unions planned and evaluated the contestants against their standards for entry-level workers. More than 1,700 industry judges and technical committee members participated this year, the release said.

Skill Point Certificates were awarded in 86 occupational and leadership areas to students who met a predetermined threshold score in their competition, as defined by industry. The Skill Point Certificate is a component of the SkillsUSA Work Force Ready System, a national assessment program for career and technical education. Esselman was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Automotive Service Technology.